That was the lie. Here's the truth. From TPM's report on the dropped criminal investigation of a Congressman's son today:

Police in Arlington County, Va. have dropped an investigation into Patrick Moran, the son of Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA), stemming from an election-season "voter fraud" hidden-camera video released by conservative activist James O'Keefe.

Police told a local Patch reporter that both Morans had cooperated with the investigation, but that O'Keefe had not complied with several requests for the full, unedited video in his possession, along with the identity of the videographer.
...
"We want the full version. That's our job, to do a thorough investigation. And that's a huge piece of the process right there," [police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck told Patch.]

Of course, we've highlighted O'Keefe's lies about releasing full, unedited videos, from which he creates his doctored and deceptively edited video propaganda, many times.

The screenshot from his dishonest fundraising plea at the top of this article was published after he and his co-conspirators trumped up secretly video taped "voter fraud" incidents during last year's New Hampshire Primary.

As we reported in great detail at the time, even while attempting to raise money on his fake "voter fraud investigation" --- which led to the Republican Mayor of Manchester calling for O'Keefe and his gang to be "arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law" --- O'Keefe lied about the release of what he claimed were the full, unedited tapes from that particular scam. They weren't. James O'Keefe had lied then, just as he did about the ACORN tapes, just as he has done, according to law enforcement, in the Virginia case.

James O'Keefe is a professional liar. That's how he makes a living. Alert the media.

Years ago I saw a movie version of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing". Two things really struck me that night.

First, I was impressed with how difficult it was listening to and trying to understand Shakespearean English. It was so much work. Felt like I was listening to another language.

Secondly, I was convinced that besides being impossible to understand the play, the play itself was stupid. It was about all this incredible cascading brouhaha caused when people listened to a well-known liar, famous for his lies. I thought, how stupid. How unrealistic. Wild Bill sure miss-fired on that one. That'd never happen in real life.

Since then I have noticed again and again that that is exactly how it goes. Known liars are listened to again and again and tremendous amounts of Much Ados About Nothing result again and again.

Other than that, no, if you bother to read the TPM story today that I quote from above, you'll see O'Keefe is hardly irrelevant (yet), as folks are still falling for his dangerous bullshit because, apparently, they're not smart enough to read The BRAD BLOG first and know better.

So our Wingnut Steve thinks that O'Keefe's fraudulent video scam is now "irrelevant" because it was it was carried out "on Jan. 11, 2012, over a year ago."

Tell that to Patrick Moran, who had been, until just before this report, the object of an Arlington County, VA police investigation as a result of O'Keefe's video scam. Tell that to the many voters and underprivileged citizens who had been the victims of O'Keefe's earlier illicit scheme, which destroyed a community organization, ACORN, upon which so many had relied.

Perhaps, for the benefit of David Lasagna, a quote from William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is indeed apropos:

The evil that men do lives after them. The good is oft interred with their bones.

While a criminal investigation, as you point out, was just ended, based on an O'Keefe scam, it's all irrelevant.

Only tens of thousands of Americans were put out of work, and even more lost their access to advocacy for home-buying and access to the voter rolls, thanks to O'Keefe's 100% phony ACORN scam. But that was a couple of years ago and most of the people involved were low-income, so who really cares about them now? Am I right, WingnutSteve?

Of course John Fund is part of O'Keefe's scams. See this excellent piece from last September of how Fund sent a phony tip (he thought it was real) to O'Keefe, leading to O'Keefe's failed "sting" attempt against SEIU.

Moreover, Fund is a part of the scams in that, after O'Keefe pulls off one of his phony "stings", Fund turns around and writes about it as if it supports his "voter fraud" fraudsterism.

I spent an hour or two some years ago at a hotel in Vegas trying to get Fund to condemn O'Keefe's blatant lies and the cowardly huckster Fund refused to do so. A film crew was taping the whole thing, but that footage has never seen the light of day. I'll have to track it down one of these days...

First, that was almost four years ago Brad. In the time since then he doesn't seem to have done much of anything other than manage to get himself convicted of a felony.

Second, why do you have to pretend to speak for me "most of the people involved were low-income, so who really cares about them now? Am I right, WingnutSteve?" Why would I not care about low-income people Brad? And why do you feel the need to make accusations, and snippy little comments to make your point? That's the problem today, discussion is gone don't even try it. Better to just ad hominem until one gets the acquiescence they seek...

Saying a guy is irrelevant after the damage he has done to so many people and for which he has suffered no consequences, and whose disinformation continues to promote and perpetuate mass stupidity and wide belief in the way things AREN'T, is just utter nonsense.

First, that was almost four years ago Brad. In the time since then he doesn't seem to have done much of anything other than manage to get himself convicted of a felony.

Then you haven't been paying attn. I'll go ahead and blame myself for that, because I do my best to ignore his BS as well (for some of the reasons you suggest), and don't cover all of his scams here. But they continue to have a negative and dangerous effect. That's why I covered his NH Primary "voter fraud" scam (see link to my converge in the story above). That scam is still cited by those states attempting to suppress the vote with polling place Photo ID restrictions. Pointing out that O'Keefe is a liar and a con-artist still matters (unfortunately).

Also, those tens of thousands of low-income folks who lost their jobs for no reason (or their one source of inexpensive counseling), probably don't feel "Oh, that was four years ago! It's irrelevant now."

Second, why do you have to pretend to speak for me "most of the people involved were low-income, so who really cares about them now? Am I right, WingnutSteve?"

Goodness gracious, Steve. Given the amount of feces you regularly fling my way (which you are always welcome to do, btw) you can't take a bit of good-natured ribbing back in return? Really? Thin skin there, amigo. If you're gonna shovel it, it's gonna be coming backatcha occasionally, my friend.

Why would I not care about low-income people Brad?

Dunno. You're the one who seems just fine with what O'Keefe did 4 years ago, without any accountability for it, and what he continues to do today in his attempt to keep largely low-income minorities from being able to participate in their own democracy.

And why do you feel the need to make accusations, and snippy little comments to make your point? That's the problem today, discussion is gone don't even try it.

Again, see the "thin skin" response above. Apologies I failed to add a wink to that quoted comment. But would you like me to compile a "Best of WingnutSteve" collection of quotes citing the 100% unprovoked potshots you've flung in my direction here over the years? You really want that reminder?

With the pimp hoax, it sure seemed that the mainstream media and decision makers were in on the lie, but decided to surf on it. After the lie was exposed in detail and that buffoon was as a liar, fraudster, and criminal, the mainstream media still refers seriously to further fraud that James O'Keefe produces like so much diarrhea in their reports? Are they in on it and just think news readers and viewers too stupid to know the difference?

Personally, generally speaking, I think it's the MEDIA that's too stupid to know the difference. For the most part with the MM you're dealing with a bunch of closeted bubbleheads. Meaning that they are afraid to come out of the closet and acknowledge how fully their thinking is the manifestation of self-reflecting bubbles.

Actually, Brad and David Lasagna, there is a language barrier in play here.

When Steve complains that O'Keefe's past transgressions are no longer relevant or that his past criminal conviction was four years ago, that is wingnutese for: This guy's a major embarrassment for the right, so please stop writing about him.

Agree. Agree. And I think what you're both doing in those last two comments is essential to all our pursuits--decoding the framing and naming it more precisely for what it is. The emperors of nonsense are naked.

People like the Koch brothers will use snarky little twerps like James O'Keefe as long as they're useful. They wouldn't allow him into their homes through the servnt's entrance and they will throw him under the bus in a heartbeat when he becomes a liability.